Month: April 2015

News just in from Chris Fegan, AIA Political Education & Campaigns Director, about the Maltese Spring Hunt.

“I am delighted to tell you that the Maltese PM has today closed the Spring Hunting Season after a shot bird fell into a school playground. The hunting season was nearly over but it shows clear political intent.

The Spring season is now closed a few days early, so many birds will live that would otherwise have died. Recent action by the Maltese Govt has shown strong political leadership by the Maltese PM following the Referendum result and, allied with the heavy sentences handed out by the courts in the last couple of weeks, has at least shown the hunters that they will be hit hard for illegal breaches of the Hunting season.

The big fight is now on to try and target the planned autumn hunting season and Catholic Concern for Animals and the Animal Interfaith Alliance will work with LACS to try andstop that from taking place.”

The earthquake’s devastation was instant and both humans and animals are suffering and need our help. AIA is recommending that anyone wishing to help the animals of Nepal support IFAW’s or HSI’s Disaster Emergency Funds. Teams from IFAW-WTI and HSI will work with local partners to feed and provide medical care for animals. To help to support IFAW please click here … To help support HSI please click here …

The AIA is delighted to announce that the Dr Schweitzer Universal Kinship Fund has reached a target of £20,000.

The Animal Interfaith Alliance launched the Dr Schweitzer Universal Kinship Fund appeal to commemorate 50 years since the death of Dr Albert Schweitzer. It is based on the Universal KinshipFundoriginally launched in 2006 by AIA Chair, Rev. Feargus O’Connor with the Dr Hadwen Trust to raise funds to promote non-animal research. In 2013 Feargus was honoured with the ‘Fundraiser of the Year’ award by the Dr Hadwen Trust for his unique fundraising achievements at his interfaith celebrations for animals events which bring together members of different faiths who share a love of animals.

Feargus said, ‘We see the vital work of the Dr Hadwen Trust as worthy of all our support because its mission is to save human and animal lives’.

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If you would like to make a donation to the Dr SchweitzerUniversal Kinship Fund please send a cheque payable to ‘Dr Hadwen Trust’ to

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AIA is delighted to welcome Kay, Duchess of Hamilton, as a new patron.

Kay, Duchess of Hamilton, is also patron of Scotland for Animals and has a long record of campaigning for animal welfare with her late husband Angus, 15th Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland. In particular, they campaigned against pate de fois gras, snaring, cruel abattoirs and bloodsports. Once, when asked why he had banned pheasant shooting on his estates, the Duke (an ex RAF pilot) replied, “Have you ever been shot at while flying? Well, I have, and I can tell you it’s not much damned fun!”

AIA is delighted that the decision was taken on 22nd April 2015 not to go ahead with the St Patricks Parish Pig Rassle event this year. AIA applauds this decision and thanks everyone who campaigned to end this cruelty.

The AIA is delighted to welcome the Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA), including the Christian Vegetarian Association of the UK (CVAUK) as a new member organisation. CVA has done a tremendous amount to promote the Christian teachings on the compassionate treatment of animals into mainstream Christian and non-Christian society and AIA are, therefore, honoured to include them as members.

AIA Political Education & Campaigns Director, Chris Fegan (who is also the general secretary of AIA’s member organisation, Catholic Concern for Animals) was interviewed by Bill Oddie when he travelled to Malta with him and members of the League Against Cruel Sports for the referendum on banning Malta’s Spring Hunting. Each year thousands of migrating birds are shot by hunters when they migrate over Malta on their annual migrating routes. Both CCA and The League have been campaigning to ban this appalling ‘sport’ and enough signatures were raised on a petition to require a referendum. Sadly the referendum for a ban was lost by 51% to 49%.